| EF just landed in Spain
in September of 2006 and has offices in
both Madrid and Barcelona and currently employs around 50 teachers
in Spain.EF is divided into several
divisions including EF Corporate Language Training. Besides
offering in-company language training, EF Corporate Language
Training has two Executive Training Centers located in Cambridge
and Boston and offers online training through Englishtown.com.
Other important divisions are Education, which sends children
to EF Schools abroad to study languages. Other divisions
are Tours, providing incoming tour services, and Hult Business
School in Boston for MBA degrees.
As a large multi-national corporation, EF offers a lot of
options for teachers including teaching online conversation
classes as support for their online language course at Englishtown.com,
which is the largest online language-teaching site in the
world.
Other options include teaching English classes by telephone
and, of course, teaching in-company classes.
Something which will come as a relief to many teachers is
that EF Corporate Language follows its own method,
which comes complete with textbooks, workbooks and other
supplementary materials. And, though teachers can supplement
these course books, which are very similar to other major
publishers' textbooks, with their own materials, they are
expected to follow them.
Besides this, as I mentioned before, EF has an R&D division
set up in Cambridge constantly producing new materials.
This happens at a local level as well as clients are always
requesting new intensive 15-hour seminars, etc. on a variety
of topics, including English for Banking, etc.
 Academy:
EF Corporate Language Training
Webpage:
http://ef.com/corporate
Date:
July 18, 2007.
When did the school open?
The school opened in 1961 in Stockholm, Sweden, but is now
a large multi-national with a presence in 51 countries.
Contact person and title:
Oscar Gonzalo (Academic Director), María Ladero.
Contact phone:
91 426 4941.
E-mail:
teacher.madrid@ef.com
Address:
Velazquez 50.
Madrid - 28001.
Google
Maps.
Calle Balmes, 150, 1º,
08080 - Barcelona.
Facilities and classrooms:
EF Corporate Language Training has no classes in their offices.
All classes are on-site in companies.
Have good materials support, photocopier?
Teachers have access to computers, printers and a reference
library. Also, teachers can download teaching materials
from their website.
Have "Director of Studies" (DOS) support?
Oscar Gonzalo is the academic director and is always available.
He frequently observes classes as well.
| |
VIPs on staff? (Re:
authors, TESOL staff members, etc.)
None.
Qualification requirements for employment?
A Bachelors degree. While no TEFL (i.e. CELTA) course is
required, they do prefer their teachers hold one. EF has
its own 2-day orientation course and will soon start a longer
training course for new teachers.
Experience requirements for employment?
One year of experience required.
Hire at a distance?
Only do so when strictly necessary. EF does conduct telephone interviews, but require an on-site interview in the end.
Hire Americans and do their papers?
EF is currently working with legal advisors to help teachers
speed up the process of getting their working papers. EF
only works with teachers with papers.
Preference for British or Americans? Why?
None. Have all nationalities.
Estimated teachers hired yearly:
EF needs 30 new English teachers in September/October of
2007.
Teachers at American Language Academy for over 4 years?
N/A (new school in Madrid and Spain)
Number of students:
3,500.
Best part about working at EF Corporate Language
Training:
EF is an exciting school. It's something new. There are
always new things going on. Teachers are well-treated and
are well-supplied with teaching resources. Teachers also
have a career plan. They may, for example, become Head Teachers,
Account Production Managers (teachers who coordinate just
one company), or Tour Directors for groups of students travelling
around Europe on cultural trips. (Also, South America and
Far East).
Other Benefits?
Oscar Gonzalo is building up a Teacher team which is committed
to EF's methodology. He encourages teachers to prepare refresher
courses, for which they are paid.
Offer teacher training or development along with job?
Apart from the initial orientation session, teachers are
given short, monthly, paid, refresher courses. Both teachers
who teach or attend these courses are given certificates
of having attended the courses as well. Courses might include,
for example, "How to Use the Board" and "How
to Use an Ipod."
Starters' average salary?
Teachers on the payroll receive between 15.50 and 20.50
per hour. Variables include incentives for customer satisfaction
and administrative work (like handing the paperwork in on
time).
Freelance teachers receive between 18.50 and 23.50.
Teachers teaching outside of the city limits of Madrid receive an additional amount.
|
EF started 46 years ago as a Swedish company,
but has become one of the world's largest language-related multi-nationals.
It is based in Stockholm, but has headquarters in Boston, Hong
Kong and Cambridge, where it has its R&D division located.
Nov. 20 update: Note
that EF has just changed their address and contact details. (All
the photos are of their old offices.)
